From the depths of Relentless Beats territory rises again from the ashes — the column only known as B-Side Weekly is finally emerging from the absence of two weeks, and my God, is it good to be back. What have you missed in the world of the underground, obscure, and lack of pretension? Lots; but wait, there’s more! If you read this edition now, you’ll get a 95% guarantee that I will actually meet my deadlines and publish another edition next week, without getting absorbed in the trenches of my day job at a local Greek restaurant! Gasp, now that is quite the deal, eh folks?

This week’s contribution comes from Nosaj Thing, the catchy DJ/Producer moniker that has produced a slew of E.P.s, tracks, and albums that combine EDM with — my favorite — some sick verses from the world of Hip Hop. This week, Nosaj Thing brought together the famed Chance the Rapper (who’s had a fanbase bubbling under the mainstream as well), in a very ambient and trancelike soul track that is very out of sync with the mainstream. Beginning the track with a rough male vocal pasted over a very light set of percussion gives us a very different vibe at RB than we are usually used to.

Nosaj Thing – Cold Stares ft. Chance The Rapper & Maceo Haymes

What really separates this track from the current status quo are the vocal deliveries brought forth by Maceo Haymes gives it a very poetic yet urban vibe that we truly haven’t experienced in the world of everything electronic. Although Hip Hop and Rap come from places that resemble a strong recognition of poetry, EDM has never been about lyrics. Although this track doesn’t contain heavy drops, or crazy synths, Nosaj Thing is bringing a revolution forward to the genre of EDM: using the “less-is-more” approach by combining his love of all things ambient and for the sake of chill, “Cold Stares,” along with the contributions of Chance the Rapper, bring a new calculated poeticism to the genre.

Nosaj Thing – IOIO

Although past tracks like “Fog” off of his first 2009 album, Drift, contain more melodic overtones, “Cold Stares” reconciles itself with Nosaj Thing’s past by including the same sense of melody, but including it more in the syncopation of lyrics and the backbeat opposed to putting it in the forefront. If you’re looking for some sick lyrics mixed with an ambient vibe you haven’t heard on your stereo for a hella long time, check out Nosaj Thing, Chance the Rapper, and Maceo Haymes’ Cold Stares. Why not “Fk a Genre” while you’re at it and catch Nosaj with Mija and a slew of other non-conformists at The Pressroom on November 23rd, 2016?